Maui in 5 Days, Part 1: Napili Bay

This is the first part of Caitlin Martin’s three-part series on Maui and three favorite hotels. Visit the home page here, part 2 here and part 3 here.

The crescent-shaped Napili Bay in west Maui looks out to the islands of Lana’i and Moloka’i. The less-crowded, relaxed area is where the Napili Kai Beach Resort (5900 Lower Honoapiilani Rd, Lahaina, HI 96761; 808-669-6271) is located. While it’s a deluxe resort with the most gorgeous ocean view from the lanai that I’d ever seen, Napili Kai Beach Resort has a causal and relaxed ambiance. I loved it. I was surprised at just how comfortable and spacious, yet upscale, this place really was.

Napili Bay beach

My one-bedroom suite was huge, with a full kitchen, living room with a sofa bed, cable TV, free Wi-Fi, two bathrooms, and a beautiful view onto the crescent-shaped Napili Bay and the islands of Lana’i and Moloka’i. They also have studios, hotel rooms and two-bedrooms suites (most with a kitchen).

Napili Kai lanai

The resort had a coral reef for snorkeling right in front of it, four swimming pools (the room I was in looked out at one of them), a spa, a fitness room, a large ocean view whirlpool spa, and two 18-hole putting greens. The resort offers free morning drinks and a daily cultural activity at the beach cabana.

Happy hour seared ahi and Maui Beach Balls

Happy hour: At a restaurant with a viewThe beachfront restaurant and bar—Sea House Restaurant under the direction of Chef Alex Stanislaw—was the perfect place for happy hour outside on the patio overlooking the ocean. The staff was so nice, quickly accommodating the line of people that kept forming (even those of us that decided to come at the end of happy hour). It’s received many awards for its sunset happy hour, and I could see why.

Molokai Sweet Potato Frittata at breakfast

I was in love with my appetizers—seared ahi, Maui Beach Balls and calamari tacos—which together were basically enough food for dinner. The Maui Beach Balls were a mix of rock shrimp, mahimahi, corn, and cheeses. YUM! I also loved the breakfast at Sea House because of the incredible frittata I ate and the relaxed, quiet ocean view that went along with it.

Napili Kai Foundation kids perform

Hawaiian culture: Napili Kai Foundation kidsEvery Tuesday evening, the children of the Napili Kai Foundation present a 45-minute program of Polynesian song and dance on the Napili Bay Beach Resort’s property. It’s a cute show, and honestly, it was just as awesome as a real Hawaiian luau. The children even did some of the same types of song and dance found in a real luau. They stole my heart (especially the little boy that gave me a flower lei after the performance), and more importantly, this is a pretty unique show that many other hotels can’t claim.

Tip: If you’re around on a Wednesday night, I hear there’s a great concert called the Masters of Hawaiian Music Slack Key Show at the hotel. It features the true greats of Hawaiian slack key guitar music. This concert series has produced Grammy-award winning CDs in the Hawaiian music category for several years.

Coastal path that can be taken from the hotel

Adventure: Scenic coastal walk and cliff-jumping It was really important that I took some time to stroll around the area so that I could see many different ocean views. I could have walked forever along the coastal walk that begins at the hotel (ask the front desk for the map). I walked so far that I reached a hidden cliff where locals were snorkeling and doing cliff-jumps. Clearly, I jumped right in with them.

Napili Kai view on lanai

“The kind of place where you can forget the rest of the world exists”Being a view person, I found no better and more-relaxing view than the view from my very own private lanai (balcony) at Napili Kai Beach Resort. It was the perfect spot for coffee in the morning, a drink at sunset and even sunbathing during the day. As one of the hotel staff said to me, “This is the kind of place where you can forget the rest of the world exists.”

By the end of my stay, I definitely agreed (and my room was away from the crowds on the beach). Look at the view above! It does really feel like your own world.

The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

Editorial Note: The editorial content on this page is not provided by any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

About the Author

Taking the path less traveled has been Caitlin's mantra and now it describes her travels as a contributor for Johnny Jet. From representing her dream clients in travel and hospitality at a top global marketing and PR agency and spending 10 years on the agency side, she's uncovering inspiration on the other side of the table. She's an east coaster at heart but enjoys living the beach life in Los Angeles, laughing loudly and singing in her Mini convertible. Follow Caitlin as she chronicles inspirational places and faces she meets along the way. She can be found on Twitter at @caitlinlmartin or email caitwrites@gmail.com.

Categories

ADVERTISER DISCLOSURE

Advertiser Disclosure: Most of the credit card offers that appear on this site are from credit card companies from which JohnnyJet.com receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). JohnnyJet.com does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. Our advertiser partners include Chase, American Express, Citibank, and Barclaycard.

Editorial Note: The editorial content on this page is not provided by any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Opinions expressed here are author's alone, not those of the bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.